The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-05-27
Religious Scenes in China.
A PICTURESQUE CHURCH BEGGAR-
CARRYING OUT A DREADFUL vow.


"Church begging" is very common
in China. The temples advertise their
wants By posting On walls in the neigh
borhood square pieces of yellow paper,
whereon is the exact Chinese equiva-
lent of the scriptural, "Ask and thou
shalt receive" together with the name
and location of the temple where pray
ers are always answered.
But there are also more personal
forms of begging. The writer has seen
III Pekin a priest whose cheeks had
been pierced, and the teeth knocked
out, so that an iron rod, as large as
ones middle finger, could be passed
through, to project an inch or two
beyond either cheek. An iron half
circle was hinged to each end of this
and passed around the back of the
priests head. Attached TO the half
circles was an iron chain which was
so long as to drag on the ground sever
al feet behind him.
His business was to go from house
to house, beating small drum, asking
help to repair temple. Sympathy
would be wasted on him. He was a
professional church debt LITTER" who
had monthly wages and commission
on his collections the rod and
chain were his stock in trade.
There is another way, still more pecu-
liar. A priest stands in small box
like structure, placed in front of a
temple, through the boards of which
spikes have been driven, so that the
imprisoned priest can move no part of
his body, except his right arm, without
being pricked by a spike. With his
right hand he rings bell to draw at
tention to his pitiable condition.
Charitable persons give so much for
the privilege of drawing out a spike.
The highest priced spikes are those
which point at the vital parts of the
body. The priest is supposed to stand
in his kennel day and night until all
the spikes have been bought and
drawn, but no one believes he really
does so.
A single incident will show how
much hardship and self inflicted suffer
ing some of these heather will under
go to fulfill religious vow. One in
tolerably hot and dusty afternoon in
1871 the writer was resting at way
side tea house and saw approaching a
man and q woman. The man would
first take one long step, then bring his
other foot up and measure his whole
length in the road.
Having knocked his head three times
on the ground, he rose, took another
step, and again prostrated himself.
The woman was the mans wife. and
was waiting upon him. In answer to
questions, he said that he had made a
made vow that if Buddha would re-
store to health his son, who was des-
perately sick, he would make pilgri.
mage to Wu-tai, shan and home again,
step and prostration all the way.
Not more than three miles could be
made in day. He had travelled about
600 of the 1000 miles of the double
journey, and would be two years long
er in completing his vow. As he was
IS years old, and almost worn out, it
was easy to see that he would not live
to fulfil it. A cAllous lump as large as
an egg projected from his forehead,
raised by knocking his head upon the
dusty road. Yet this man was sh ok
ed and angry at suggestion that he
should abandon his useless pilgrimage,
and passed out of sight measuring the
road with his infrm body Youths
| COnpaniOn.